Ecclestone said after meeting team principals at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday that he believed Bahrain was peaceful enough to hold the race and that extra safety precautions would not be necessary.

"There's nothing happening," Ecclestone said. "I know people that live there and it's all very quiet and peaceful."

His comments followed a statement released earlier in the day by the FIA, the sport's world governing body, which also confirmed that the race would be held as planned, despite political instability in the country.

Pressure had been mounting for the race to be postponed or cancelled because of continuing clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters. The crackdown has left at least 50 people dead.

Race organisers cancelled last year's event after an uprising by the country's Shia majority seeking a greater political voice led to a harsh crackdown by the Sunni-led government.

Human rights groups criticised the race being reinstated this year, but Ecclestone said he believed the problems in the country shouldn't affect the race for a second year in a row.

"I'm happy that our position is quite clear. We don't get involved in politics in a country. We go to a country like we come here," he said. "They will sort out their internal problems, I'm quite sure."

Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, said after the meeting with Ecclestone that the teams had to "trust and respect" the FIA's judgment. "We take the security of all our employees very carefully and so inevitably, as with other races, sometimes extra precautions are taken and we'll do our best to ensure that all our guys and girls are in a secure environment," he said. "But I don't doubt that for a moment. The statement from the FIA is clear."

The FIA issued a statement saying the federation's president, Jean Todt, visited Bahrain in November last year and met Shia members of parliament, the president of the Bahrain independent commission of inquiry, ambassadors from EU countries, the crown prince, the interior minister and local businessmen to discuss the political situation of the country and viability of the race.

"All expressed their wish for the Grand Prix to go ahead in 2012, and since then, the FIA has kept in close touch with all these stakeholders," the statement said.

Most Formula One drivers were reluctant to comment on the Bahrain situation when asked in China, but Red Bull's Mark Webber said racing against the background of social and political unrest put drivers in a difficult position.

"Ultimately, we are all human. We have morals, we have ways we see things," he said. "We like to think that people and situations are fair and everything is, as I suppose, correct as we would like it to be.

"As a Grand Prix driver, I'm contracted to the team, they're contracted to the FIA. They hold a 20-round world championship. We go to those venues and race. And that's where it is."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said any decision was out of the drivers' hands.

"We need to trust the FIA in which the people have all the information," he said.